Blue Jays tag Porcello with 16th loss, beat Red Sox 10-4

BOSTON Steve Pearce had three of Toronto’s 14 hits to lead the Blue Jays to a 10-4 victory over Boston on Monday night and send Red Sox starter Rick Porcello to his major league-leading 16th loss.

Boston lost for the fourth time in five games. Its lead in the AL East was trimmed to 2 1/2 games over the New York Yankees, who beat Baltimore in the afternoon.

Kendrys Morales hit a three-run shot for Toronto in the first inning. Jose Bautista connected for a solo drive in the third, and Raffy Lopez chased Porcello (9-16) with a two-run homer in the sixth.

The Blue Jays added three more in the ninth, highlighted by Justin Smoak’s 37th homer and a run-scoring double for Morales.

Toronto left-hander J.A. Happ (710) gave up three runs - one earned and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He was charged with an error that led to two runs in the second inning when he threw the ball into centre field on a would-be fielder’s choice.

Porcello, who had won five of his previous six starts, allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. The 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner is the first 16-game loser in the majors this season and the first Red Sox pitcher to lose that many games since Mike Torrez in 1980, according to the (Worcester) Telegram & Gazette.

Eduardo Nunez had two hits and three RBIs for Boston.

The Blue Jays led 3-0 after one inning. Bautista gave them a 4-2 lead in the third, and then they pulled away with a three-run sixth against Porcello.

Ryan Goins singled with one out, Darwin Barney doubled off the Green Monster to score one run and bring pitching coach Carl Willis out to the mound. But on Porcello’s first pitch to Lopez - his 100th of the game - the No. 9 hitter homered over the Toronto bullpen to make it 7-2.